The administration of President Donald Trump has ordered the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to suspend the processing of green card and citizenship applications filed by Nigerians and nationals of other countries newly added to the expanded US travel ban, citing national security concerns.
According to a report by CBS News, the directive follows a proclamation signed by Trump on Tuesday, December 16, which further restricts entry into the United States for countries deemed high risk due to what the White House described as serious failures in immigration screening, vetting, and information sharing.
Nigeria is among 15 additional countries placed under partial restrictions. The suspension also applies to countries facing full travel bans, including Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria, Laos, and Sierra Leone. Nationals of other partially restricted countries affected include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Countries already under restrictions such as Afghanistan, Burundi, Chad, Cuba, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Yemen, and Venezuela remain impacted.
Trump had earlier designated Nigeria a “country of particular concern” on October 31, citing allegations of targeted violence against Christians.
The move expands restrictions first announced in June, with Laos and Sierra Leone upgraded from partial limitations to a full ban. USCIS has extended the freeze on immigration petitions, including permanent residency and naturalization applications, while the administration continues its review of immigration and national security policies.
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